Dissertation Information for Mildred Lowe NAME: - Mildred Lowe
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1972)
ADVISORS: - Oliver L. Lilley
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - None
MPACT Status: Incomplete - Ambiguous
Title: GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS AND PAMPHLETS IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES OF NEW YORK STATE
Abstract: Professional and bibliographic guidelines for the administration of such
peripheral materials collections as government publications and pamphlets are as
yet relatively undeveloped. It was decided, therefore, that the characteristics
of individual librarians responsible for these materials would exercise
significant influence on library practices. This study was conducted to gather
information concerning the characteristics of librarians working with the
government publications and pamphlets collections in the libraries of the public
two-year colleges of New York state; to gather information about their library
practices; and then to discover through the application of statistical tests
(the Mann-Whitney U Test) what relationships existed between specific
characteristics and specific library practices.
Through the use of a questionnaire and the examination of pertinent documents it
was found that community college librarians in New York State hold mater's
degrees in library science and other subject areas, and in many cases additional
graduate degrees. Their undergraduate orientation is primarily non-technical and
non-scientific. Most have had some experience with government publications and
pamphlets in library school courses, and very little in continuing education
programs. They have had library experience in other institutions and are
generally active in campus affairs.
The outstanding characteristics of the administration of the collections are
their variety and their emphasis on the liberal arts and social sciences.
Libraries collect from as few as 100 items per year to as many as 5000. A wide
variety of selection tools are used ranging from the comprehensive Monthly
Catalog to the selective Price lists. Many librarians rely heavily on faculty
and student requests while at the same time pointing out that neither group is
especially well informed about the materials.
Few of the libraries follow regular patterns of acquisitions. Promotion of the
materials is similarly irregular. Most libraries provide access to their
collections through subject headings lists and cross reference cards in the main
catalog. Finally, the materials are used mostly by liberal arts and social
science students.
Application of the Mann-Whitney U Test to the statistical data showed that there
were positive relationships between:
(a) Librarians' non-humanities undergraduate backgrounds and the volume of
materials selected each year;
(b) Librarians' graduate library school preparation and promotion, selection,
cataloging and classifications, and acquisitions;
(c) Librarians' continuing education experience and promotion, cataloging and
classification, and acquisitions; and
(d) Librarian's campus activity related to curricula and materials and the
volume of materials selected each year. There was also a fair amount of
consistency between the librarians' characteristics and the variety of practices
associated with each one, as well as among the practices within each library.
The most important influences on practices were by factors which cut across
institutional lines (library school and formal continuing education) rather than
by undergraduate backgrounds, on-campus activities, years of experience, and on
-the-job training.
Though many library school courses already provide some coverage of government
publications and pamphlets, there needs to be more stress on their relevance to
the unique circular functions of junior colleges. This would perhaps lead to
improved service to the neglected segments of the community college population:
vocational and technical students and faculty and administrators.
Library schools need to provide continuing education opportunities to working
librarians in materials related to junior colleges.
The feasibility of a regularly updated government publications and pamphlets
tool with curricular and reading level clues should be investigated. The
assignment of "in source" subject headings to the materials would improve
access. Finally, there is evidence to suggest that the pooling and dissemination
of government information to community college libraries by regional depository
libraries would be a valuable service.
| |
MPACT Scores for Mildred Lowe A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:01:43
Advisors and Advisees Graph
generating graph, please reload |